Chris Andersen

Not to be confused with Chris Anderson.
For the American journalist, see Christopher Andersen.
Chris Andersen

Chris Andersen with the Denver Nuggets in 2009
No. 00 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Position Center / Power forward
League NBA
Personal information
Born (1978-07-07) July 7, 1978
Long Beach, California
Nationality American
Listed height 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight 245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school Iola (Iola, Texas)
College Blinn (1997–1999)
NBA draft 1999 / Undrafted
Playing career 1999–present
Career history
1999–2000 Jiangsu Nangang
2000 New Mexico Slam
2000–2001 Fargo-Moorhead Beez
2001 Sugarland Sharks
2001 Fayetteville Patriots
2001–2004 Denver Nuggets
2004–2006, 2008 New Orleans Hornets
2008–2012 Denver Nuggets
2013–2016 Miami Heat
2016 Memphis Grizzlies
2016–present Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

Christopher Claus "Chris" Andersen[1] (born July 7, 1978) is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Nicknamed Birdman,[2] Andersen was born in Long Beach, California, grew up in Iola, Texas, and played one year at Blinn College.[3] Andersen began his professional career in the Chinese Basketball Association and the American minor leagues. He then played in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and the New Orleans Hornets. The 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), 245 lb (111 kg; 17.5 st) center/power forward received a two-year ban from the NBA in 2006 for violating the league's drug policy,[4] but was reinstated on March 4, 2008, and re-signed with the Hornets the next day. He returned to Denver later in 2008, and remained with them until 2012. He signed with the Heat in January 2013 and won a championship with them that same year. He is the only Blinn student to ever play in the NBA.[5]

Early life

Andersen was the second of the three children of corrections officer and Danish immigrant Claus Andersen and Linda Holubec, a Tennessee native who worked as a waitress at the Port Hueneme base, and played basketball in high school.[6] In 1982, when Andersen was four, his family moved to Texas, using a loan from the Texas Veterans Land Board to purchase a 10-acre plot in unincorporated Iola, about 100 miles north of Houston. Shortly later, Claus left the family without finishing the house they were building. The Andersens then lived off the land, with Linda working on low-end jobs and relying on the help of neighbors and Linda's brother, who was a Navy supply boat captain. During Andersen's middle school years, he and his siblings were sent to a group home in Dallas for three years.[6]

During high school, Andersen was convinced to take up basketball by the varsity basketball coach, who said the sport could give him a chance at a college scholarship. Andersen could not get the grades to attend the University of Houston, but went to Blinn College in Brenham, where the coach was the father of Andersen's high school coach. He played one season with the Blinn Buccaneers, leading the National Junior College Athletic Association players in blocks.[6]

Professional career

Early career (1999–2001)

Convinced that he could play professionally, Andersen dropped out of Blinn in 1999, not knowing he had to officially apply for the NBA draft to get picked up. Andersen's high school coach arranged for him to play a series of exhibition games with the semi-professional Texas Ambassadors, and a game in China led Andersen to get an offer to join the Jiangsu Nangang Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association.[6] In March 2000, he joined the New Mexico Slam of the International Basketball League where he averaged just 1.1 points and 1.6 rebounds in six regular season games and four playoff games.[3] Later that year, he joined the Dakota Wizards of the IBA but left before the season started. He then joined the Fargo-Moorhead Beez also of the IBA where he played seven games before being released in January 2001.[7] Later that year, he joined the Sugarland Sharks of the Southwest Basketball League.

In July 2001, Andersen joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2001 NBA Summer League. On September 28, 2001, he signed with the Phoenix Suns. However, he was later waived by the Suns on October 7, 2001. On October 31, 2001, he was selected with the first overall pick by the Fayetteville Patriots in the NBA Development League's inaugural draft.[8][9]

Denver Nuggets (2001–2004)

Andersen became the first D-League player called up by an NBA team, signing with the Denver Nuggets on November 21, 2001 after just two games for Fayetteville.[10] He quickly became one of the top per-minute rebounders and shot-blockers in the league.[11] During the 2002 Rocky Mountain Revue, teammates Junior Harrington and Kenny Satterfield nicknamed Andersen "Birdman" for his arm span and penchant for aerial acrobatics.[3]

On September 29, 2003, he re-signed with the Nuggets.[12]

New Orleans Hornets (2004–2006)

On July 19, 2004, Andersen signed a multi-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets. He appeared in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 2005 All-Star Weekend for the second year in a row,[13] where he unsuccessfully tried the same dunk eight times at the Pepsi Center.[14]

Following the effects of Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, the Hornets moved to Oklahoma City for the 2005–06 season and temporarily became the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets. In 2005–06, Andersen managed just 32 games (two starts), averaging 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.[15]

Expulsion and reinstatement

On January 25, 2006, Andersen was disqualified from the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug policy by testing positive for a banned substance.[4] Andersen's suspension fell under the league's category of "drugs of abuse", violation of which is possible grounds for expulsion from the NBA under the league's collective bargaining agreement.[4] Andersen attempted to appeal the ruling through arbitration, but the arbitrator ruled to uphold his dismissal in March 2006.[4] As Andersen waited for his reinstatement effective which could be given in January 2008,[16] he was helped by a lawyer friend in Denver, Mark Bryant, who became his adviser. Andersen spent a month in a rehab clinic in Malibu, and worked out and coached a boys' basketball team in Denver.[17]

On March 4, 2008, the NBA Players Association granted Andersen's request to be reinstated as an NBA player.[18] The reinstatement was effective immediately, and the rights to his services belonged to his former team, the New Orleans Hornets, who re-signed him on March 5, 2008 for the rest of the 2007–08 season.[19]

Second Denver stint (2008–2012)

On July 24, 2008, Andersen signed a one-year deal with the Denver Nuggets.[20] Andersen finished the 2008–09 season second in the league in blocks per game with 2.5 despite playing only 20.6 minutes per game.[21]

On July 8, 2009, Andersen re-signed with the Nuggets on a five-year deal.[22]

On July 17, 2012, the Nuggets waived Andersen via the amnesty clause.[23] Nuggets General Manager Masai Ujiri, a friend of Andersen, reluctantly made the transaction in order to remove $9 million from the team's payroll cap to avoid the luxury tax.[24]

Miami Heat (2013–2016)

Before he was waived by the Nuggets, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra had repeatedly lobbied Pat Riley to acquire Andersen.[24]

On January 20, 2013, Andersen signed a 10-day contract with the Miami Heat.[25][26] He was signed to a second 10-day contract on January 30,[27] and signed for the remainder of the season on February 8, 2013.[28]

Andersen played in only 42 games during the 2012–13 season but still contributed to the Heat's success by putting up 4.9 points per game on 57.7 FG% and 4.1 rebounds in 14.9 minutes of play. After he joined the Heat, his team went on a 27-game winning streak, overall going 37-3 in regular-season games in which Andersen played. Andersen also gained legions of fans inspired by his head-to-toe tattoos, Mohawk haircut, and trademark hustle.[29][30][31]

Andersen shot 15-15 in Games 1-5 against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, including a 7-for-7 performance in Game 1 that set a franchise playoff record, besting the 6-for-6 mark by Alonzo Mourning in 2007. Andersen was suspended for Game 6 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals without pay for committing a flagrant foul on Tyler Hansbrough in Game 5.[32]

At age 34, he reached the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. Against the San Antonio Spurs in the deciding Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals, Andersen recorded three points, four rebounds, and a block en route to his first NBA championship.[29] With a field goal percentage of 80.7%, Andersen finished the 2013 NBA Playoffs with an NBA Playoffs record for highest field goal percentage.

On July 10, 2013, Andersen re-signed with the Miami Heat.[33] He played 72 games during the 2013–14 regular season, averaging 6.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. On May 26, 2014, before Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it was announced that Andersen would miss Game 4 and subsequently Game 5 due to an array of nagging aches and pains which he had been suffering for some time.[34] Andersen returned for Game 6, recording 9 points and 10 rebounds as the Heat went on to advance to their fourth straight NBA Finals and Andersen's second. The Heat again faced the Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals, but were defeated in five games.

On July 19, 2014, Andersen again re-signed with the Heat.[35] Over the course of the 2014–15 regular season, Andersen started 20 games, the most in a single season of his career.

Memphis Grizzlies (2016)

On February 16, 2016, the Heat traded Andersen and two second-round picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a three-team trade also involving the Charlotte Hornets.[36] Three days later, he made his debut for the Grizzlies in a 109–104 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, recording four points, three rebounds and one block in 11 minutes.[37]

Cleveland Cavaliers (2016–present)

On July 22, 2016, Andersen signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.[38]

Personal life

Andersen is known for brightly colored tattoos on his arms, chest, neck, back, hands and legs. His first tattoo was given as an eighteenth birthday gift by his mother, who has some body art of her own from her tenure in the Bandidos Motorcycle Club.[6] Andersen's regular tattoo artist, Denver-based John Slaughter, estimates he has inked 65 percent of his body.[39] He showed off those tattoos in PETA's "Ink Not Mink" ad campaign to protest the fur industry.[40]

On May 10, 2012, Denver NBC affiliate 9News reported that Andersen's home was the target of an investigation of a suspected Internet criminal case by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.[41] Andersen was not charged with any crimes. In September 2013, it was revealed that Andersen was the victim of an elaborate hoax, orchestrated by a Canadian woman in Easterville, Manitoba.[42]

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
† Denotes seasons in which Andersen won an NBA championship

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2001–02 Denver 24 1 10.9 .338 .000 .786 3.2 .3 .3 1.2 3.0
2002–03 Denver 59 3 15.4 .400 .000 .550 4.6 .5 .5 1.0 5.2
2003–04 Denver 71 0 14.5 .443 .000 .589 4.2 .5 .5 1.6 3.4
2004–05 New Orleans 67 2 21.3 .534 .000 .689 6.1 1.1 .2 1.5 7.7
2005–06 New Orleans/Oklahoma City 32 2 17.8 .571 .000 .476 4.8 .2 .3 1.3 5.0
2007–08 New Orleans 5 0 6.8 .286 .000 .500 1.8 .0 .0 .8 1.2
2008–09 Denver 71 1 20.6 .548 .200 .718 6.2 .4 .6 2.5 6.4
2009–10 Denver 76 0 22.3 .566 .000 .695 6.4 .4 .6 1.9 5.9
2010–11 Denver 45 0 16.3 .599 .000 .637 4.9 .4 .5 1.3 5.6
2011–12 Denver 32 1 15.2 .546 .000 .610 4.6 .2 .6 1.4 5.3
2012–13† Miami 42 0 14.9 .577 .667 .677 4.1 .4 .4 1.0 4.9
2013–14 Miami 72 0 19.4 .664 .250 .710 5.3 .3 .4 1.3 6.6
2014–15 Miami 60 20 18.9 .580 .308 .667 5.0 .7 .4 1.0 5.3
2015–16 Miami 7 1 5.1 .400 .400 .750 1.3 .4 .1 .4 1.9
2015–16 Memphis 20 14 18.3 .548 .222 .688 4.5 .5 .7 .5 4.6
Career 683 45 17.8 .533 .231 .654 5.1 .5 .4 1.4 5.5

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2004 Denver 5 0 6.8 .333 .000 .000 2.8 .4 .2 .4 1.2
2009 Denver 15 0 21.9 .630 .000 .659 6.3 .6 .3 2.1 6.5
2010 Denver 6 0 19.3 .529 .000 .643 4.5 .2 .2 1.0 4.5
2011 Denver 5 0 14.6 .636 .000 .714 2.8 .6 .6 1.4 4.8
2013† Miami 20 0 15.2 .807 .000 .735 3.8 .2 .5 1.1 6.4
2014 Miami 18 0 17.6 .579 .000 .684 5.9 .3 .3 1.0 5.1
2016 Memphis 4 2 19.8 .417 .000 .625 7.8 .8 .5 .8 3.8
Career 73 2 17.1 .631 .000 .689 5.0 .4 .4 1.2 5.3

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Week in Photos: Dunkers Special, Chris Andersen". NBA.com. April 2, 2010. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  2. ↑ "Chris Andersen NBA Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "NBA.com: Chris Andersen Bio Page". NBA.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Hornets' Andersen kicked out of NBA for drug use". ESPN.com. January 27, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  5. ↑ Coleman, Ross (January 24, 2011). "The Best Player From All 119 Schools Represented in the NBA". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Palmer, Chris (May 12, 2008). "Birdman's redemption bittersweet for his mother". ESPN the Magazine. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  7. ↑ Leibowitz, Ben (May 31, 2013). "A Timeline of Chris 'Birdman! Birdman!' Andersen's Bizarre NBA Career". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  8. ↑ "National Basketball Development League Announces Inaugural Draft Results". NBA.com. NBDL Enterprises, LLC. November 1, 2001. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Chris Andersen D-League Statistics". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on April 23, 2015. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
  10. ↑ "NBDL: First NBDL Player "Called Up" to NBA". NBA.com. November 21, 2001. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  11. ↑ Cavan, Jim (January 22, 2013). "For Chris Andersen, Another Chance". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Chris Andersen #11 – C/F". TSN.ca. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  13. ↑ Simmons, Bill (April 15, 2008). "NBA MVP breakdown, Part I". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
  14. ↑ Burns, Mary (February 6, 2006). "Silence speaks volumes?". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Chris Andersen 2005-06 Game Log". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  16. ↑ Kuhls, Tim (February 22, 2007). "The "Birdman" Should Get a Second Chance". CornellSun.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  17. ↑ Wertheim, L. Jon (October 5, 2009). "Flight Of The Birdman". CNN.com. Archived from the original on July 7, 2013. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  18. ↑ "NBA and Players Association Reinstate Chris Andersen". NBA.com. March 4, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  19. ↑ "Andersen expected to re-sign with Hornets after drug ban lifted". ESPN.com. March 4, 2008. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Nuggets Sign Andersen". NBA.com. July 24, 2008. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  21. ↑ "2008-09 NBA Leaders". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  22. ↑ "Nuggets keep Birdman in their nest with 5-year deal". NBA.com. July 8, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2013.
  23. ↑ "Nuggets waive F/C Chris Andersen under amnesty provision". NBA.com. July 17, 2012. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  24. 1 2 Beck, Howard (May 24, 2013). "Miami's High-Flying, Low-Key Role Player". NYTimes.com. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  25. ↑ "HEAT Sign Chris Andersen". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  26. ↑ "Chris 'Birdman' Andersen signs with Heat". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 20, 2013. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  27. ↑ "HEAT Signs Chris Andersen". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. January 30, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  28. ↑ "HEAT Signs Chris Andersen". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 8, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2013.
  29. 1 2 Beasley, Adam H. (June 21, 2013). "Chris 'Birdman' Andersen helps Miami Heat reach mountaintop". MiamiHerald.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  30. ↑ Dwyer, Kelly (June 21, 2013). "Chris 'Birdman' Andersen celebrates exactly how you'd expect him to". Yahoo.com. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  31. ↑ Moorhead, Couper (March 25, 2013). "Chris Andersen and The Rim Run Diary". NBA.com. Retrieved March 25, 2013.
  32. ↑ Smith, Sekou (May 31, 2013). "HEAT'S 'BIRDMAN' GROUNDED FOR GAME 6". NBA.com. Retrieved June 21, 2013.
  33. ↑ "HEAT Re-Signs Chris Andersen". NBA.com. July 10, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2014.
  34. ↑ "Andersen inactive, Lewis starts Game 4 for Heat". NBA.com. May 26, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  35. ↑ "HEAT Signs Chris Andersen". NBA.com. July 19, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2014.
  36. ↑ "Grizzlies acquire four 2nd Round Picks, Chris Andersen & P.J. Hairston in three-team trade". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 16, 2016. Retrieved February 16, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Conley has 25 points to lead Grizzlies past T'wolves 109-104". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 19, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Cavaliers Sign Center Chris Andersen". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 22, 2016. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  39. ↑ Tomasson, Chris (June 8, 2013). "Chris Andersen's tattoos tell story of his life journey". FOXSports.com. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
  40. ↑ Hochman, Benjamin (November 30, 2011). "Nuggets center Chris Andersen stands tall for PETA". DenverPost.com. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  41. ↑ Moore, Matt (May 10, 2012). "Nuggets F Chris Andersen's home searched by police, property seized". CBSSports.com. Retrieved August 3, 2012.
  42. ↑ Windhorst, Brian (September 19, 2013). "Heat's Chris Andersen cleared". ESPN. Retrieved September 19, 2013.

External links

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